CAMP CUPCAKE: Take A Tour Of America's Cushiest Prison

﻿Diane Hathaway laughs as she's presented with her robe in January 2009. Associated Press/Al Goldis An ex-Michigan Supreme Court justice who pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud is likely heading to federal prison camp in West Virginia.

But Diane Hathaway could have it a lot worse. A judge has recommended she be sent to "FCP Alderson" in the foothills of West Virginia's Allegheny mountains.

Aerial view

The 159-acre minimum-security prison camp is nestled in the scenic hills near Greenbrier State Forest, on the bank of Greenbrier River. The small town of Alderson, W. Va. is located east across the river.

Main entrance to FPC Alderson

Built in 1928, the prison is actually the first federal prison for women. It uses a reformatory model where women are housed in "cottages" and there's no barbed wire. The had one famous escapee who took advantage of the low security there.

Lynette Fromme

A 1970 photo of Lynette Fromme, a member of the Manson Family.
Associated Press

Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was sentenced to life in prison after her attempt to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975. She escaped Alderson in 1987 but was recaptured two days later and was ultimately released in 2009.

Class taught in the 1930s

During her time at Alderson, Fromme had access to a wide range of educational courses from G.E.D. classes to college classes to vocational training. The prison also has a number of recreational classes: yoga (which Martha Stewart reportedly started), fitness, aerobics, cosmetology, and stress relief.

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart was sentenced to five months in prison after she was found guilty of insider trading. She told the Washington Post that her "daily interactions with the staff and fellow inmates here at Alderson are marked by fair treatment and mutual respect." Fans sent her more than 15,000 e-mails in her first month there.